John Dickinson
Founding father who was opposed to independence Abstained from voting on and signing the Declaration of Independence Wrote “Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer” published in the colonies, in England and in France, which united the colonists against the Townshend Acts, prompting the occupation of Boston and the leading to the Boston Massacre Member of the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, wrote essays to promote the Constitution Served as Pennsylvania governor
Primary Sources
Journals of Congress, containing proceedings from … to … by United States Continental Congress Call number: (multiple)
Dickinson Family Papers 16761885 Correspondence, documents, business records, essays, notes, and newspaper clippings of John Dickinson, lawyer and statesman. The collection consists almost entirely of papers collected by Dickinson in relation to his political and business activities, but there are some miscellaneous papers of Sally Norris Dickinson, his daughter. Although the correspondence deals predominantly with Dickinson's activities in the public, governmental sphere, a significant portion concerns his private affairs, especially land and business activities. Call number: LCP.in.HSP47
R. R. Logan Collection of John Dickinson papers The R.R. Logan Collection contains mainly papers relating to John Dickinson. There are ten boxes and one volume spanning from 1671 to 1882 with few gaps. The papers of John Dickinson have been divided into five subseries– correspondence, political, legal and financial, related families, and miscellaneous. The bulk of his papers are comprised of correspondence and political and religious papers. There are also a significant number of legal documents. Collection #383 http://hsp.org/sites/default/files/legacy_files/ migrated/findingaid0383logan.pdf
(Draft of the Articles of Confederation by John Dickinson, 1776, from the R.R. Logan Collection of John Dickinson papers. Collection #383 Box 3, Folder 20. Digital Archive item #8982)
Letters from a farmer in Pennsylvania to the inhabitants of the British Colonies by John Dickinson, published 1768 Call number: LCP Ar.67 Z 9 vol. 2 LCP Ar.68 D553j
A new essay (by the Pennsylvanian farmer) on the constitutional power of GreatBritain over the colonies in America : with the resolves of the Committee for the province of Pennsylvania, and their instructions to their representatives in Assembly. by John Dickinson, published 1774 Call number: LCP S .254 P4D3 Available online: http://books.google.com/books?id=V4s1AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ViewAPI #v=onepage&q&f=false
The letters of Fabius, in 1788, on the Federal Constitution, and in 1797, on the present situation of public affairs By John Dickinson, published 1797 (multiple copies available) Call number: LCP Aa. 797 W35 Call number: LCP AqD.55 L 65
(First page of Fabius letter by John Dickinson, 1794, from the R.R. Logan Collection of John Dickinson papers. Collection #383, Box 4, Folder 12, Digital Archive item #9860)
The political writings of John Dickinson, esquire, late president of the state of Delaware, and of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. by John Dickinson, published 1801 Call number: LCP AqD.55 P 76 v.2 Call number: LCP AqD.55 P 76 v.1 Call number: RARE E 302 .D55 1801 v.1 Volume 2 available online: http://books.google.com/books?id=rumaFWOo8XMC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ViewA PI#v=onepage&q&f=false
The writings of John Dickinson Vol. 1 Political writings 17641774, edited at the request of The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, by Paul Leicester Ford, published 1895 Call number: STATES Va .62 v.14 Available online: http://books.google.com/books?id=3YsKAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ViewAPI# v=onepage&q&f=false
Secondary Sources
John Dickinson by Frank Gaylord Cook, published 1890 Call number: Biog.D5534j 1890
The life and character of John Dickinson Read before the Historical Society of Delaware, May 21, 1900 by Robert H. Richards Call number: UDE F 161.D35 Call number: UDel 050 H673p Available online: http://books.google.com/books?id=kRTVAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ViewAPI #v=onepage&q&f=false John Dickinson, forgotten patriot by Edwin Wolf, published 1967 Call number: Gd .421 W831